Signal device



Jul 27, 1948. LANCASTER 2,445,953 SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1946 3 SSheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Lamas zer A'ITD R N EYS July 27, 1948.

Filed Sept. 6, 1946 F. A. LANCASTER SIGNAL DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 INVENTOR. Em i Z 14. Lancaster 2' I m JW%.

F. A. LANCASTER SIGNAL DEVICE July 27, 1948.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 6, 1946 INVENTOR- 1 (Z A. Lancast er A'ITU R N EYE fatented July 27, 1948 SIGNAL nEvIdE Franklin Arthur Lancaster, Lake Charles, La., assignor of one-half to Le Roy Lambert, Jr.,

Lecsville, La.

Application September 6, 1946, Serial No. 695,308

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to a signal foruse upon bridges, and it is one object of the invention to provide a signal adapted to be mounted at a side of a lift span of a bridge and serve as a warning to indicate whether the lift span is'in a lowered or raised position.

Another object of the invention is to provide .a signal which is so constructed and so mounted that when a bridge span is swung upwardly from a lowered position to a raised position, the signal will be caused to show a green light, indicating that a boat may safel pass, instead of a red light which is a danger signal indicating that the span is in the lowered position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal wherein the lamp is at all times suspended in a vertical position, means being provided for turning the lamp about a shaft from which it is suspended in order to show a gr e light r a red light, according to the position of the bridge span.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal which is automatically adjusted to show red or green light, andwhichis of simple con struction and not liable to be easily damaged or get out of working order.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyme drawings wherein? Figure 1 is a side view showing lift spans of a bridge equipped with signals of the improved construction Figure 2 is a view of the free end of one of the lift spans showing the signal at a side thereof;

Figure 3 is a side elevationof the improvedisignal;

Figure 4 is a view looking at the disk bymeans of which the signal is secured to the lift span of the bridge;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken vertically through the signal;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5.

This improved signal is for use in connection with a bridge having lift spans l which are mounted for vertical swinging movement in any desired mamier from a lowered position to a raised or opened position, allowing boats to pass the bridge. At night time, it is often diflicult to determine whether a bridge is opened or closed unless lights are provided and at the present time lights either show the same color when the spans are in either raised or lowered positions, or complicated and expensive mechanism is necessary in order to change the color.

My improved signals are of simple construction, and one is mounted upon each span at a side of the free end thereof. These signals, whichare indicated in general by the. numeral 2, may be mounted upon side rails of the span as shown, or upon outer sideslof girders at opposite sides or the span. The signals move vertically. with the spans from a lowered positionltoa raised posi- 7 tion and in the lowered position show a red light or danger signal while inthe raised position, they show a green light or safety signal and-clearly in- 'dicate whether it is safe for a boat to pass throu h the drawofa bridge. 1 t

The signalsare of duplicate construction and each has a tubular mountingshaftt surrounded at its inner end by a collar 4 welded to the shaft and formed with opening 5 through Which bolts or screws 6 are passed to secure the same firmly. againstthe bridge'span l. A largebevelled gear I, which preferably has thirty-two. teeth, is."

welded in place about the outer. end of the shaft: and has its hub flush with the'end of the shaft. Through the tubularishaft extends a core or shaft 8, which is of greater length than the tubular shaft, and projects from the outer end thereof. This shaft 8 has its inner end flared to form a head 9 whichis seated in the inner end of shaft 3 and constitutes an abutment to prevent outward movement of the shaft 8 through shaft 3 j beyond the position shown in Figure 5. T-coupling m lined by a bushing l I fitssnugly a out th protruding end of the shaft 8 and has its inner endheld in spaced relation to 'the gear! byfa spacingwasher .12., Washer 13, which f t snug} 1y about thelshaftyengage the outer end of the coupling and "are heldflin place by a cotter key J M. The short depending arm of the coupling is ,1 formed with a threaded socket It in "which is screwed the threaded upper portion l6 of a hanger shaft I! about which are mounted a tubular shaft or sleeve [8 and a tubular spacer l9 which holds the sleeve I8 in predetermined downwardly spaced relation to the coupling [0 so that a bevelled gear 20 welded about the sleeve will mesh. with the gear I. The gear 20 is half the size of gear I and has sixteen teeth, so that when the bridge is swung upwardly or downwardly and the gear 20 moves about gear I through an arc of the gear 2!! and the sleeve [8 carrying the same will make a half turn of A lamp casing 2| is carried by the sleeve l8 at the lower end thereof and has upper and lower heads 22 and 23 formed of metal or other suitable material. The heads have been shown of rectangular shape in Figure 6, and through their corner portions are formed openings to receive rods on bolts 24 by means of which the head 23 23 will show through the walls of the lamp, and

the wall section 25 is coloredgreen, while the wall section 26 is red. The upper head 22 fits about the lower end of the sleeve l8 and is secured against a disk 31 by screws 32, the disk 3| being welded to the sleeve so that when the sleeve is turned about shaft I! the lamp will be turned to display a red light for a lowered span f or a green light for a raised span. The upper head rests upon a thrust bearing 33 which fits about the protruding lower end ofshaft IT and isheld' thereon by a nut 34 screwed upon the shaft and held in place by a cotter key 35.

When signals of the improved construction are in uSatheYaremounted atopposite' sides of free end portions of the tiltable" spans'of a bridge and hang in a vertical position'as shownin'Figuresl' and2,1'where they maybe'seen .by the lookouts or, pilots of "boats approaching the bridge. When; the spansa're' in thelowered or closed: position, the light fromthe'. bulbs is seen through the 'red sections 2'6"of the lamps; and constitutes a danger signal indicating that. the bridge is closed; When the spans are swung upwardly to the opened position, the Weightwill maintain the signals in a vertical position, and. since the gear 2llof each signal moves about the gear I, the sleeve l8 willbeturned about the shaft IT and since the lamp housing, turns with the sleeve, the green section will be'turned to a position outward'Iy 0f the span, and the lookout or pilot of the boat will see a green Iight'servi'ng as a safety' signaland indicating, that; the-bridge is open. The lights will, also be in a raisedposition and farther apart than when. in the lowered position occupied; when, the spans are closed.

the heads and holding'the same iii-gripping engagernent with the wall, said wall liaving'opposed q Having thus. described the invention, what is claimed is mounting secured toal fi p n at a side of la free endportion thereof, a shaft rotatably'mounted infsafd' tube and projecting. from s I. A bridge span sign-ali comprising. a tubular during vertical swinging movement of the bridge span, a collar secured about the lower end portion of said sleeve, a housing carried by and extending downwardly from said collar and having transparent wall sections of contrasting colors moved into position to be seen by turning of the sleeve and the housing during vertical swinging movement of the span, and a lampin the housing fordisplaying a light visible through'the wall sections.

2. A bridge span signal comprising a shaft mounted against a side of a span having vertical swinging movement to raised and lowered positions, a coupling about the mounting shaft, a hanger shaft extending downwardly from said coupling, in vertical position, a sleeve rotatable about said hanger shaft, a gear in fixed position about the mountingshaft, a gear about said sleeve meshing with the fixed gear and turning the sleeve during vertical swinging movement of the span, and an indicator carried by saidsleeve and having portions of contrasting appearance moved; into position to be seen by rotation of the sleeve.

3; A bridge span signal comprising a shaft mounted against a side of a span-having vertical swinging movement to raised and'lowe'redposi tions, a coupling about the mounting2shaft,.-a

hangershaft extending downwardly from said coupling in vertical position, a. sleeve rotatable to the sleeve, a lower head,.a cylindricalwall of. transparent material having upper andllower ends engaged by the heads, boltspassedthrough' positions of contrasting. colors, a bulb-holding. socket carried by the lower head, and. means iorimparting rotary movement to the sleeve duringy vertical' movement of the span and turning the lamp housing to move apredeterminedlcolored portion of the wall in. position to be seen by a- 2 person approaching the bridge. 2 I

FRANKLIN ARTHUR LANCASTER."

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of ,re'coxid'imth'e file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Remington- Mar.:5-, 1901 2,109,797

. Grotz- Apr. 2, 186'] Barnard Sept. 9, 188% Lubin on- Mar.;1,1938 

